"avoid judgment" (mt 7:1)
"If you want to avoid judgment..." —Matthew 7:1
"If you want to avoid judgment, stop passing judgment" on others' character and motives (Mt 7:1). If we judge others' character and motives, we will have the same verdict passed on us (Mt 7:2). "If you want to avoid judgment," repent of your own sins, and then help others repent (Mt 7:5).
If we want to avoid judgment, we must forgive those who have sinned against us. Otherwise, we will not be forgiven (Mt 6:15), and we will be in no position to help others reconcile to the Lord.
In summary, to avoid coming under judgment, we must:
- not judge others' character or motives,
- repent of our sins,
- help others to reconcile with God, and
- forgive others.
By God's grace, we must do all of these things, or we risk being judged. "Avoid judgment" (Mt 7:1).
Prayer: Father, may loving and faithful obedience to You be my joy and delight.
Promise: "Then you will see clearly to take the speck from your brother's eye." —Mt 7:5
Praise: Don and Jean were so hospitable to their teenage children's friends that even now, decades later, many of those "kids" take time to visit them on holidays and special occasions.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet Seek First the Kingdom.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 27, 2018
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